Uniquely Felucian
by c95
Summary: Jedi Knight, Aayla Secura, survives Order 66 and escapes Republic forces with Commander Bly. But with surviving Jedi being hunted down ruthlessly by the newly formed Galactic Empire and Bly's desertion becoming known to the authorities, will Aayla and Bly ever be able to escape the shadow of an increasingly Imperialised galaxy?
1. The hologram

Commander Bly paused over the remains of a battle droid he had destroyed just seconds ago. Where its elongated, skull-like head should have been was a mess of tangled and charred wiring – its head blown clean away by Bly's well-placed blaster bolt.

Their scout patrol had been ambushed by a squad of Separatist B1 battle droids. Poor soldiers though they were, the sheer size of the droid army had allowed the Separatists to stand toe to toe with the Grand Army of the Republic for three years now. If it weren't for the Jedi the Republic probably wouldn't even be winning, Bly reflected.

With deadly accuracy, General Secura threw her lightsaber at the final two droids, destroying them in one clean motion. The lightsaber returned to her hand almost instantly. Inside his helmet the Commander sighed. After three years fighting alongside Jedi he was well aware of their powers, throughout the war General Secura had saved Bly's life many times, but he never ceased to be amazed by these 'acts of the impossible' as he liked to call them.

Suddenly, the General was by Bly's side. "Bly, report" she said. Her accent was rich, exotic. Much like her aqua-blue skin - a good deal of which was visible due to her practical, albeit rather revealing, clothing. General Secura was a Twilek, a humanoid species. The Twilek's main distinguishing features were their twin 'lekku' or head tails and their colourful skin tones. Bly didn't mind being under the command of an alien but, understandably in an army composed entirely of cloned humans, some of the men were uneasy about it.

Bly snapped to attention. "All droids in the area have been destroyed General. No deaths on our side, two wounded. Captain Red reports that his patrol has encountered no resistance so far."

"Very good Commander" replied the General. "Have the wounded taken to the forward base. We must move fast if our force is to reach the water facility by dawn."

"Yes General."

Bly's expression turned sour. Shu Mai, head of the Commerce Guild and commander of the Separatist presence on Felucia had decided to poison the planet's water supply in an attempt to hold back the Republic advance. Or to give her enough time to escape more like. Bly's thoughts drifted. He was starting to wonder whether wanted the war to end. Because clearly it would end, and sooner rather than later. Republic propaganda was not to be trusted of course but recently Bly felt he was starting to detect desperation on the part of the Separatists. Droids were being used even more wastefully than before - as if it was the last throw of the dice. But what would a clone, genetically altered to be the perfect soldier, do in a galaxy devoid of war and the Separatists? Abruptly, the war put an end to Bly's musings.

"Ambush!" screamed Secura.

Without thinking, Bly dropped into cover behind a giant mushroom of the type that littered the surface of Felucia. Bly's HUD showed 35 droids – 30 B1's and five 'Supers.' Bly fired three shots in rapid succession. Three droids down. Well he was supposed to be elite! One of the Super Battle Droids fired a rocket into the fray. Bly was blasted off his feet. Blackness nibbled at the edges of his vision...

"Commander. Commander Bly. Can you hear me?" It was the General. She was leaning over him and the concern in her voice was real. Bly wondered why. Soldiers were always replaceable and clones even more so. Bly groaned. His head pounded and he felt sick. Bly struggled upright.

"I, I can hear you General." Bly muttered thickly.

The General seemed to read his mind. "I value the life of every man in the Grand Army, Commander. And I do not believe you are replaceable."

Perhaps the Jedi had read his mind thought Bly with a wry smile. Anyway, it was nice to be called a man instead of a clone for a change. Lost for words Bly opted for a salute. He looked around. This attack had hit the patrol harder. Of the 20 clones that had set out from the forward base they were down to twelve. Two wounded, two were escorting the wounded back to base and it looked like four were dead. Bly couldn't recall their names. The Grand Army worked its way through clones all too quickly these days.

The General was doing some quick thinking. "There are too many droid patrols" she announced. "We'll never get the rest of the army through here. Set up camp. I'll take a trooper with me and try to find another route to the water facility."

Bly was the first to reply. "I'll go with you General."

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough Bly?"

Through the channels in his helmet comlink Bly could hear various clones employ their choice swear words. The men were offloading their stress and adrenaline onto Republic Intelligence – an institution the men thought particularly poorly of. With good reason. Republic Intelligence had a long list of failures, and not an awful lot else, to their name. Even the Jedi, hell, even Grand Master Yoda himself had criticised Intelligence. Bly shut the chatter off."I'm fine General" he said, feeling anything but fine. But Bly liked to accompany his General. He was increasingly finding that he was more comfortable around the General than among his men. Bly shrugged the uneasy feeling off. It was natural for an officer to be somewhat distant from his men.

"Very well. The Commander and I should be back by 2300 hours."

"Acknowledged General" replied Lieutenant Saps.

Bly and Secura set off into the gloom, their silhouettes were soon swallowed up by the giant fungi structures that were so uniquely Felucian. It didn't take long for Bly's helmet to be filled with the sounds of Felucia's many nocturnal creatures. Somewhere in the distance an Acklay uttered it's grating scream. It had to be an Acklay. There was nothing else in the Galaxy that sounded like the scream of an Acklay. They had almost been more effective at draining the ranks of the Republic on Felucia than the Separatists. "Well General. Looks like we've given the droids the slip" remarked Bly with some satisfaction.

He looked over at his General and could instantly tell something was wrong. She was gazing at the sky, mouth slightly open, her right hand resting on the hilt of her lightsaber. "I sense something" she murmured. "Pain. Terrible evil."

Bly's comlink beeped. "I have a communication" he announced.

Secura looked at Bly, as if only just noticing he was there. She remained silent.

Bly activated his holo-communicator and was greeted by a hologram of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Bly had never so much as been on the same planet as the Chancellor but he had seen enough clips on the holonet to know that the Chancellor was now horribly disfigured. His twisted and warped face was half shrouded by a dark cowl and the shadows that clung to him gave him an aura of menace so powerful that Bly had to resist the urge to take a step back. The Chancellor spoke. "Commander Bly, execute Order 66." The Chancellor's voice had changed as well. Once it had been soft, indulgent kind of voice. The voice of a grandfather. A grandfather of the Republic. But now it was deeper, harsher and grating. It was the voice of a monster.

Bly acknowledged crisply "Yes my lord" and shut off the communication. It took a second for Bly to work out what he meant but he realised that the Chancellor was referring to the Grand Army's 150 contingency orders, orders that were to be used only in the most dire of emergencies. They would be never be used Bly had been told. Ah yes. Order 66 was to be executed in the event of a rebellion by the Army's Jedi officers. The Jedi were to be eliminated using lethal force. Absently, Bly's hand drifted towards the safety catch on his rifle...

- Notes:

The story starts on Felucia around the time of Revenge of the Sith. Order 66 is not dealt with like it is in ROTS as the scene in the film does not give enough scope for change in my opinion. None of the clone names are canonical. Bly, Secura and Palpatine are the only canonical characters here. This is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Decision time

Calmness and patience were two traits valued highly by the Jedi order and normally General Aayla Secura had no trouble adhering to them. Yet on this dark Felucia night Aayla found calmness to be in short supply. She had left her troops to set up camp whilst she and Commander Bly scouted ahead and tried to find a way around the seemingly endless droid patrols. No single encounter would spell disaster but one after another they wore down the numbers of the Republic.

At the back of her mind Aayla felt that familiar mental tickle – a sense that something was wrong. All sentient beings worried, that was an unchangeable fact, but Aayla knew her worries weren't something to be ignored. They came from the force. Aayla analysed it. It wasn't about the war, at least not exactly. It was something else. Bly said something but Aayla barely heard him. She came to an abrupt halt. Aayla searched the sky, searched it with more than just eyes. She reached out with the force. But the force was - different. It was riddled with pain, with death. She felt parts of the living force simply disappear. It was like the stars going out. One by one.

Bly spoke and this time Aayla heard him clearly. His voice cut through the pain she was feeling like a knife. "I have a communication" she heard him say. Bly was turning on his holo-communicator. Dread slithered into Aayla's gut. Aayla saw a hologram appear. Aayla couldn't tell who it was, the hologram was facing away from her, hooded and robed. The hologram spoke. It was the Chancellor! The voice was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was unmistakeably Palpatine yet his voice was deeper. And rasping. With a sense of dawning horror Aayla realised she was hearing the voice of Darth Sidious.

Darth Sidious spoke. "Commander Bly, execute Order 66."

Bly acknowledged. "Yes my lord."

Aayla's head was spinning. Order 66 was a contingency order to eliminate the Jedi in the case of a rebellion. Why had no one checked the contingency orders?! What was the standard of proof required for this order to be carried out? None of course. The Sith weren't interested in proof were they. Bly wouldn't be carrying out the order if the Chancellor had made a mistake. There was no mistake. The Jedi order, which had survived for millennia, would be destroyed. Tonight.

She looked over at Bly, the man which she had trusted with her life. The man who had fought loyally by her side for three years, who had commanded her troops. The man who was about to kill her. Bly aimed his rifle straight at her head. Aayla's brain screamed at her to grab her lightsaber but her hands didn't seem to be working. Aayla saw Bly hesitate for a fraction of a second and then raise his rifle just a little higher. Aayla closed her eyes and waited to die – no – to become with one with the force. That's what they had said would happen back in the Jedi temple. Her heart pounded. The blaster screeched...

Moments passed. Cautiously, Aayla opened her eyes. Strange. She was still on Felucia. Bly had dropped his blaster rifle. He seemed to be staring at point above Aayla's head. Aayla turned and saw what he was looking at. The mushroom directly behind her bore a scorch mark just inches above her head.

At last Bly spoke. "I can't do it. You're not a traitor to the Republic. You can't be." The helmet's comm gear couldn't quite filter the doubt out of Bly's voice.

Aayla felt strength return to her. "It's a coup" she ventured. "With the Jedi dead and the Grand Army on his side the Chancellor has no one left to oppose him."

"Yeah!" said Bly enthusiastically, visibly gaining confidence. "That'd be the sort of thing Palps would do, the slimy bastard."

Without warning Aayla collapsed. Aayla saw the warm Felucia night disappear and be replaced by a vast duracrete and transparisteel vista. Billions of lights flashed from endless towers, walkways and skylanes. Coruscant. Directly ahead of her she could see a giant cube-like building adorned with towers in the corners. The Jedi temple! Then she saw the clones. Thousands upon thousands of clone soldiers marched up the steps of the temple, rifles at the ready. They proudly wore the blue stripes of the legendary 501st legion. Leading them was a man, shrouded by a hood and by the dark side of the force. A Sith lord. Aayla was at the door. It opened and the Sith lord and his clones entered the temple. The Sith lord approached the first Jedi he saw. The Jedi looked up.

"Greetings master S-" he began. Then he saw the clones. The Jedi's mouth fell open. The Sith lord smoothly decapitated him and, with the briefest of hand gestures, he motioned the clones forward. Isolated shots rang out. Suddenly alarms were wailing and bleary eyed Jedi began to appear. The clones abandoned all restraint and charged, laying down a volley of blaster fire. Jedi after Jedi fell to the floor, cut down by the pride of the Grand Army. The temple echoed with the sounds of battle. The screech of the blasters, the hum of the lightsabers, the explosions and the screams of dying Jedi and clones.

The scene changed. Aayla was a Dark Lord of the Sith, striding through the corridors of the Jedi temple. Aayla marched with purpose, with determination and perhaps, with a twisted sense of pride. Yet fear and desperation clawed at her heart. A Jedi charged towards her. "Traitor!" he screamed. Aayla laughed. She raised her hand in claw-like shape. The Jedi's hands darted to his throat as his face turned blue. The choked Jedi crumpled but Aayla did not notice. She was already moving on. Her destination came into view. The council chamber. Aayla stepped over the threshold and a youngling approached her, his face full of fear. The youngling started to speak...

The scene disappeared. Aayla was lying on the ground at the base of one of the Felucian mushrooms. She was slick with sweat. Bly was leaning over her, his helmet off and his dark eyes filled with fear. Aayla retched and Bly leapt back.

"What was it?" asked Bly. "What did you see?"

"I, I" Aayla began. Her voice wavered and then broke. All Jedi strength left her and Aayla curled up in a ball and sobbed. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Bly hovering awkwardly, looking highly discomfited. Aayla began again. "I saw the Jedi temple get attacked by the 501st. All the Jedi inside, the men and the women and the children were, were ..." She fell silent. "I saw a Sith lord. I woke up as he was about to kill younglings."

"The 501st did this?" asked Bly. "Whoever could issue an order like that is..." he stopped himself. "We're supposed to be soldiers, not butchers!" spat Bly. Then he looked up curiously. "General, what is a Sith lord?"

Aayla felt a sense of wonder. He doesn't know what a Sith lord is? Immediately, Aayla was cross with herself. Why should he? After all the Sith had been out of sight for over a thousand standard years. The recent suspicions about the existence of a Darth Sidious was strictly 'need-to-know' and even the clones who had been helping the investigation were unaware of the true nature of their target. The Chancellor had known of course. He had been told to be extra vigilant! Inside, Palpatine must have been laughing fit to burst. How would she ever explain to Bly the thousands of years of emnity between the Jedi and the Sith. Aayla tried to sum it up in a single line. "Sith are Jedi who have turned to the dark side. They have turned to evil and serve only themselves."

Bly looked satisfied with this explanation. Suddenly he was on his feet. "General" he warned. Aayla unhooked her lightsaber from her belt. She could sense it. Clones were heading straight for them. And they wouldn't be taking any prisoners.

- Notes:

Here's the second chapter then. Now from Aayla's point of view. It covers some of the events of the end of the last chapter. I've seen from EU novels how hard it is to write Jedi so I hope it's ok! Quick reminder that none of this is canonical. Especially the events in the Jedi temple. I stopped short of depicting Anakin (who's eyes Aayla is seeing the second part of that vision through) killing the younglings as I don't want Aayla to know Vader = Anakin yet. Hope you enjoy this second chapter! I'll get a third chapter done soon.

- edit, I've made a few corrections to make it read more easily.


	3. Escape from Felucia part 1

It felt very different, Aayla decided, to be fighting clones instead of droids. The droids were machines, without feeling, hopes, fears or an interest in the battle. The clones, despite their identical appearances and altered genes, were living beings with differing personalities and this added a whole new dimension to a conflict.

Aayla could sense that Lieutenant Saps, leader of the contingent advancing towards them, was eager and confident – perhaps overconfident. Saps poured over maps and battle plans endlessly. He hated what he didn't understand and he could never understand Jedi. As such, he whole heartedly supported Order 66. Others such as Scorcher and Sul viewed this as a routine mission. Order 66 meant little to them. They would be committed to the job at hand but would rather be back at base. One clone stood out from the rest; Sergeant Daze was pessimistic about the mission. He was uncertain of the validity of Order 66 and was fearful of facing a Jedi in combat.

Aayla spoke low and fast. "Bly, take cover and ensure they don't flank you. I will prepare an ambush. When the time is right, I will give you the order to fire. Leave Sergeant Daze unharmed. I sense he would order a retreat if command fell to him."

Bly was confused. "General, how-" he began.

Aayla touched his arm lightly. "You will know Commander. Have no fear." Without another word she disappeared into the undergrowth.

Aayla began working her way around the clones. They had formed a loose semi-circle around Bly's position. That would ensure that when the shooting started, the target would be exposed to fire from three sides. Aayla moved silently through the forest of mushrooms – her footsteps and presence were dampened by the force. Aayla could sense the clone squad's confusion. They hadn't expected to find Bly alone. Now directly behind the clones and sensing their distraction, Aayla seized her chance and jumped. Her force enhanced leap carried her to the top of a mushroom. From her vantage point, several meters above the ground, she could see one of the clones on Bly's right begin to flank. She had to act now!

Reaching across time and space through the force, Aayla touched Bly's mind. "Fire now, Commander!" Instantly, Bly complied and his hastily snapped off shots were all the distraction Aayla needed. Taking a deep breath she stepped off the top of the mushroom. The ground rushed to meet her but she landed lightly, noiselessly. She ignited her lightsaber and the clone closest to her whirled. Combat instincts took and over and Aayla cut the clone in half. She crouched, and then rushed forward. Three more clones fell to her blade before the remaining clones located their new attacker.

The sudden appearance of a Jedi in their midst sparked panic amongst the clones. They fell back and one attempted flee. Saps shot the fleeing clone in the back. Even through the tangle of emotions the battle had inspired, Aayla could feel Bly's cold anger. He had seen it too. Aayla watched in horror as Bly stepped out of cover and began blasting away at his former Lieutenant. Bly's aim was true and Saps crumpled, smoke pouring from a hole in his chest. Another clone stepped forward and aimed his blaster directly at Bly but he wasn't paying any attention. Aayla filled herself with the force, willed it to guide her, and leaped. Her somersault placed her directly between the clones and Bly. Aayla's lightsaber was moving so fast it became a blur, deflecting the hail of blaster bolts back at their attackers. Several more clones fell, killed by their own rebounding shots, and with a crisp hand signal from a clone sergeant the survivors withdrew. Bly and Aayla were alone once more.

Bly tore off his helmet. "Whatever happened to clones being brothers?" he asked the air – his voice was shaky.

Aayla understood his pain. Bly and the other 'first wave' clones had received a full training which had made much of the fact that they were genetically identical and emphasised the clone's feeling of brotherhood. Saps was a much more recent clone and Aayla knew that the new clones received no training at all but were imprinted with 'flash memories.' The so called 'flash training' gave the clones basic combat ability but little else besides.

Bly spoke again. "Thanks General. I was in a tight spot there."

"No need for thanks Bly. You played your part well but you must be more careful. I fear there may be many more injustices to come in this galaxy and you must endure and survive them. Being cut down in a blaze of glory will help no one."

"Yes General."

"Oh, and Bly. You may as well call me Aayla. You might have noticed, I no longer have my command."

Bly half-smiled. "So what's our next move?"

Aayla hesitated. On the one hand she didn't want Bly to become an outcast, cut off from his men, but on the other hand Bly had already made the choice for himself. He had refused an executive order from the Chancellor and killed clone troopers under his command trying to protect a Jedi who was by definition a traitor to the Republic. There could be no going back for Bly and he knew it. Bly's fate was now inextricably bound up with her own. "We have to leave Felucia" Aayla mused. "We will be killed by both the Republic and the Separatists if they find us. I, I feel we must go to Coruscant. Perhaps the damage that has been done tonight can be reversed."

Bly looked aghast. "General we can't go there! We'll be arrested and killed. You can't just march into Palpatine's office. And if the Jedi are..." Bly stumbled over this awkward subject. "It's as you said earlier. There's no one left to oppose him."

"The Senate" said Aayla. "We can make a case before the Senate."

"Aayla, the Senate can make all the decisions it wants but who's going to enforce them? Clones were bred with absolute loyalty to the Republic and the Chancellor is at the top of the chain of command."

Aayla heard Bly use her name for the first time and recognised it as a desperate attempt to make her see reason. Aayla decided she would drop the matter for the time being but she was determined to go to Coruscant and confront the tyrant that had destroyed her family and her life. If she had to she would do it alone.

"You're right" Aayla said. "And besides, Jedi should focus on the here and now. On the moment. And right now that means escaping this planet."

Bly looked relieved. "We could try and steal a Y-wing. There are a few on the ground primed and ready. They were going to be used to hit the Sep's supply caches."

"Those fighters will be heavily guarded but I suppose we have little choice. Nothing else on this planet will be fast enough to get us past the Star Destroyer up there. Lets go."

The journey passed in silence. Three hours of silence. Aayla was on edge. More than tense than she had been at any other stage of her life. At any moment they could be discovered and they closer they got to the main Republic base on Felucia the greater the chance of discovery. And death. Aayla had been in life-threatening situations before. Even before the war. But this was a whole galaxy away from those early days in the Jedi order. Back then, there had always been a Jedi Master to solve problems that got out of hand. Now Aayla was herself a Master and, as of tonight, one of the last of the Jedi. The stakes had been raised somewhat.

By dawn the Republic base was in sight. Clone foot patrols were everywhere and the whines of BARC speeders shattered the early morning calm. Close by, an AT-TE crashed through the undergrowth and bright search lights raked the ground over and over again.

"Not good" muttered Bly. "We'll have to fight our way through."

Aayla shook her head. "The sentries are tired. And bored. If we can reach the perimeter wall without being spotted I should be able to convince a guard to let us in." Minutes passed. Then the searchlight that had them pinned down swept to their left. "Now!" hissed Aayla. "Go." They sprinted to the perimeter wall, hugging it closely just as the searchlight beam returned to its previous position. Aayla inched along the wall, Bly following close behind.

"They'll be two guarding the entrance" breathed Bly. "Will your powers work on two at the same time?"

"I can do it" replied Aayla. She tried and failed to inject some confidence in her voice. Aayla's force powers were potent, but she was headstrong and preferred to resolve conflicts in an open handed way. As such she rarely used the 'Jedi mind trick.' Master Kenobi had had a particular aptitude for the mind trick and Aayla had hoped she could persuade him to tutor her in this skill one day. As it was, Kenobi was most likely dead and she needed to use a mind trick now. Barely five meters from the two entrance guards Aayla turned to Bly. "Get ready to start shooting" she whispered. He gave her a curt nod.

Aayla stilled her anxious mind and then broke from the safety of the shadow cast by the wall. She sauntered towards the guards, trying to act like she owned the place and had all the time in the world. The guards turned towards her. They hadn't recognised her yet. Good. Aayla raised her hand and spoke in her most imperious and commanding voice. "Open the gate." One of the clones moved instantly to comply but as the gate opened Aayla felt her concentration lapse.

"Hang on" the second clone said. He turned to the first clone trooper.

Aayla cursed her uncooperative mind and struggled to re-assert control, letting the force flow through her. The second clone visibly relaxed and fell silent. Aayla spoke in the same commanding tone. "Go to sleep. Now." Within a few seconds, both the clone guards were slumped on the floor fast asleep. Aayla was lost for words. Even now, as a master, the force continued to amaze her. She waved to Bly and he ran over. "We're inside."

- Notes:

So that's chapter 3 then and it's the longest so far. I had several aims with this chapter. I wanted to bring out the soldier side of Aayla. She didn't get much time in the first chapter and in the second chapter I emphasise her vulnerable side. In this chapter I wanted her to be General Aayla again. I had hoped to break Bly out of his shell a bit but I didn't get as far as I would have liked. I don't think that matters too much. He's a clone so he's going to take time finding his own identity. Finally, I could never really make the link between the reasonable clone troopers of the Republic and the brutal stromtroopers of the Empire. In this chapter I tried to bridge the gap a little bit. That's enough ramble from me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm hoping to have chapter 4 down some time next week.

- edit, Slight changes made to improve readability.


	4. Escape from Felucia part 2

By most sentient being's standards a Republic military compound, with its bright yellow lights and gunmetal grey walls, would be a depressing environment – certainly not a space one could ever call home. Yet for the past three years, various such bases had been all the home that Clone Commander Bly had ever needed. Now he would be leaving them, and indeed the Republic military, behind forever. If he could reach the hangar bay before being shot dead by his fellow clones.

The hum of air filtration devices was all-pervasive and Bly knew that the possibility of somebody approaching them unheard was very real. Aayla, though Bly still thought of her as General Secura, motioned him forward. Bly hoped against hope that they could reach the hangar without incident. He hadn't rested properly for days and was desperate for a long sleep in hyperspace. The General would need rest as well he mused. What with her own troops turning on her and the destruction of the Jedi order she must be at the very limits of her endurance. Mere hours ago the General had collapsed and whilst Bly was given to understand that this had been induced by the force he still felt uneasy. They were both now wanted by the Republic and would need all their wits about them to survive.

Abruptly, the General motioned him to stop. Bly hadn't even noticed it but they had reached the hangar bay. The rest of the base had been silent and empty but the hangar was a hive of activity. Clone engineers were bustled around the spacecraft, performing numerous final checks. It looked as though a mission was about to start.

"Looks like they've got all the pre-flight done" whispered Bly. "We should be able to jump in and fly."

The General gave him a tight smile. "I'll fly" she said. "You take the bubble turret."

"Acknowledged General." She was clearly tired. Bly could see deep blue bags under her eyes and her movements didn't seem quite as graceful or coordinated as they had a few hours ago.

They waited for a few seconds, observing the movements of the engineers and the pilots. "It's now or never Bly." The General started forward and Bly followed.

For a moment the activity in the hangar continued as if nothing was happening. As Bly and the General headed towards a Y-wing in the centre of the hangar the clones around them stopped what they were doing. Silence descended on the hangar.

"It's them!" a shocked pilot cried. "Blast them!" All hell broke loose. Bly ducked behind a pile of crates and began blasting the clones. The hangar was filled with criss-crossing blaster fire. Even the engineers were armed with blaster pistols though they were mercifully poor shots.

"We have to keep moving!" shouted Aayla.

Bly ducked and ran, firing off occasional shots and not waiting to see whether he had hit anything. Bly could see the General jump into the cockpit. The force had been at work there no doubt; the cockpit of a Y-wing was at least two meters above the ground. Bly raced up the ladder and climbed into the gunner turret. Bly knew that the ship's shields would keep him safe from small-arms fire but he still felt awfully exposed, stuck in a tiny see-through sphere that protruded from the ship's body.

The engines thrummed and soon the ship was lifting clear of the hangar. Bly felt his heart lift. Whatever other dangers they would face in the future, Bly was devoutly thankful to at last be leaving the planet of Felucia behind.

Bly swivelled his turret 360 degrees. His eyes confirmed what his instruments already told him.

"No enemy fighters in pursuit General. We're clear!"

But Bly had spoken too soon. A harsh voice sounded through the ship's intercom.

"Republic starfighter. This is the Star Destroyer Gallant. Your flight is unauthorised. Shut down your engines immediately and prepare to be taken aboard."

The all too familiar red and grey wedge shape of a Venator class star destroyer emerged from the shadow of the planetary diameter. Without thinking, Bly aimed his turret at the star destroyer before stopping himself short. It would take a turbolaser the size of the ship they were flying to make a dent in a Venator. Bly noted sourly that the computer wouldn't even accept it as a target.

Bly could hear the voice of his General, directed not at him but at the R4 astromech droid that assisted the pilot in flight and combat. "R4, reduce shields to zero percent. Power down front lasers and proton bomb bays. Re-route all excess power to the sublight engines."

Bly couldn't believe his ears. "General" he began.

Aayla stopped him. "It's Aayla" she corrected him.

Bly paused. "Aayla" he began again. "Without shields we're flying a coffin! At least restore some power to the shields."

"I'm aware of the risks Bly" she said coolly. "But a Jedi has no use for shields. The force will guide us to safety."

Bly seethed. A Jedi has no use for shields?! Perhaps Jedi have no use for life! Starfighter shielding wouldn't protect them from a direct turbolaser blast, Bly knew, but it would cushion them from a near miss and would provide partial protection from most starfighter weaponry.

The intercom beeped, announcing another communication from the orbiting Star Destroyer. "Republic starfighter, power down your engines at once and prepare to be brought aboard. Failure to comply will result in use of lethal force, repeat, lethal force."

Aayla didn't seem remotely concerned. "R4, calculate time required to clear Felucia's gravity well."

Bly switched to his communications screen and saw the reply. Approximately 90 seconds.

The engines on the Star Destroyer were glowing more brightly than Bly had ever seen before. The Captain of the Gallant was pushing his ship hard to catch up. At the back of his mind Bly acknowledged that Aayla may have been right in disabling the shields. They were a significant drain on power, power that could be used to increase speed.

"Aayla. We've got 170's incoming. All batteries on the Gallant are firing."

"Keep the fighters at bay. They have been sent to slow us down and bring us in range of the Gallant's turbolasers."

Bright blue streaks of energy erupted from the Star Destroyer but faded into blackness some distance away. Bly knew the Star Destroyer was trying to spook them into taking evasive action which would give the fighters time to catch up. Inside his helmet Bly grinned. That's not going to work on a Jedi.

With barely 30 seconds left the enemy fighters had almost closed the gap. Bly's finger tightened on the trigger – the lead ARC-170 was nearly in range. Bly glanced at his targeting screen. The enemy fighter's profile shifted from red to green. Time to fire! Yet at the precise moment that Bly fired, Aayla put the ship in a slow spin. Bly's shots went wide. The sky shifted. Deadly red laser bolts streaked past their ship and faded in front of them. Adjusting for the spin Bly fired again and this time hit his mark. The ARC-170 exploded. Three more fighters took its place. A second before they fired, Aayla pulled up and red laser beams sliced empty space. The Y-wing shuddered threateningly at the sharp manoeuvre and Bly had to fight to keep his turret aimed at the target. He fired again and clipped the wing of a 170. The doomed ship spun out of control.

Abruptly, the enemy ships vanished and the stars in font of them turned into lines. They had made it into hyperspace.

"R4, stabilise the power distribution" said Aayla wearily. "We'd better get some rest. R4 can wake us up if there's problem."

"Thanks for saving our lives General. Aayla. That was some damn good flying. We fly with shields next time though, right?"

Bly had been expecting a cool response but instead Aayla giggled. Bly frowned. He had never heard her giggle before. That was most unlike her.

"You were always such a careful commander. I knew you wouldn't like my plan." Bly could hear the amusement in her voice.

"It got us out in one piece. That's good enough for me." Bly realised she hadn't said where they were going. "Where are we headed? Don't say Coruscant."

"No." Aayla said. "We need somewhere to re-supply. We will need a less conspicuous ship and clothing."

Bly looked down at his armour. Bly was an ARC (Advanced Recon Commando) and as such, had a stylised set of armour. It would feel strange not to be wearing it. Clone troopers spent so much time in their amour it felt like a second skin.

Aayla continued, "We're going to a small desert planet in the outer rim. Tatooine."

- Notes: Chapter 4 finished. It took me slightly longer to write this one. I wasn't quite sure how to handle the space fighting. I'm glad I've got them off Felucia. Hopefully the story can pick up a bit of pace from here. Speaking of which, I should probably change the name. If you have any suggestions for a different name or just for general improvements please let me know. I Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I'll have the fifth one done in a few days.


	5. Cantina encounter

Commander Bly hadn't quite come to terms with the fact that he was now an enemy of the Republic. He sat upon a barstool in a dingy Mos Eisley cantina, gazing into the depths of his lum mug. The same words were echoing through his mind over and over again.

"It's them! Blast them!"

They had been the words of a clone pilot, spoken as Bly and Aayla had been making their escape from the disputed world of Felucia. The clones of the Grand Army had been Bly's comrades in arms, his family. The pilot's words had exposed the ugly truth – the Republic came first. Always. And now his 'family' had orders to shoot him on sight.

Bly absent-mindedly tugged at the sleeves of the anonymous black flight suit he was wearing. Luckily for Bly, the ship's locker contained spare flight suits and supplies; it would be far too dangerous for Bly to venture into a populated world in his clone armour. It was too easily recognised and desertion was punishable by death. As it was, nobody gave Bly a second look. It seemed to be an unwritten rule on this planet that your business was your own.

The band struck up a new tune but Bly struggled to discern the difference. Spaceport music wasn't known for its variety. A sand-encrusted holoscreen hummed quietly in the corner, displaying the results of the latest podrace. Abruptly it flickered and died. Bly started. A burly human behind him placed a hand in his shoulder.

"Easy." He growled. "Technology dies all the time on Tatooine. It's probably a dust storm."

However before he could continue, the holoscreen spluttered back in to life and a fanfare erupted from the hidden speakers which Bly instantly recognised as the the beginning of the CPN or Coruscant Planetary News. To keep clones informed about the war, a filtered form of CPN was made available through the military holonet.

The newsreader, a young human male, appeared on the screen. He seemed to be bursting with excitement. "Good afternoon and welcome to CPN, your source for Coruscant-wide news" he began. "This is Jaran Telana with the latest headlines. An exciting new chapter in galactic history has been opened today. This is the news that the Republic, after 20000 standard years of existence, has finally been retired. Two hours ago, a special session of the senate was held where Chancellor Palpatine – now Emperor - announced the formation of the First Galactic Empire! What will this mean for the galaxy? With me in the studio today we have two constitutional experts who are hopefully going to help us understand the differences between Republic and Empire. Stay with us."

Bly was reeling. The Republic was... gone? It couldn't be! But before Bly could gather his thoughts the newsreader continued.

"Jedi rebellion! The Grand Army saw action on our world late last night, suppressing a Jedi coup. In a speech given to the senate, the Emperor gave details on an attempt on his life made by a team of Jedi masters. The Jedi order's treacherous actions have left senators and citizens alike confused and horrified. Thankfully, the Empire has taken swift action to contain the rebellion. We can confirm that the Jedi order has been permanently disbanded and that Jedi at large are being actively pursued by Imperial security forces. We'll have more on this story as the details come in. In a statement made earlier today, Homeworld Security would like to remind citizens that Jedi are highly dangerous individuals who should not be approached under any circumstances. Jedi sightings should be reported immediately to the Coruscant Guard."

The newsroom disappeared and a clip taken from the senate chamber replaced it. The self-appointed Emperor was speaking. "The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. But I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger. The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!"

The newsroom returned and the newsreader, now flushed with enthusiasm, continued his piece. "The Republic was always led to believe that the Jedi's conduct in war was exemplary. However recent reports, released by the Senate Committee of Intelligence, detail numerous atrocities committed by the Jedi and reveal the true scale of corruption in the Jedi order."

Pictures of reports flashed across the screen. All bore a picture of a Jedi and listed details of various war crimes they had supposedly committed.

'Ki-Adi-Mundi – Released battle plans and troop strengths to Separatist forces on Mygeeto. Stole Republic funds for personal use. Status: deceased.'

'Stass Allie – Sabotaged Republic equipment on Saleucami. Deliberately attacked civilian settlements. Status: deceased.'

Obi-Wan Kenobi – Attempted to obstruct attempts to capture/neutralise the Separatist commander General Grievous on Utapau; Grievous was eliminated by loyal Republic forces. Status: active.'

'Aayla Secura – Poisoned planetary water supply on Felucia resulting in deaths of civilians and Republic forces. Status: active."

More reports appeared but Bly was no longer watching. His mouth was open and his mind was in turmoil. How could the Empire lie that easily? "It's not true!" he said, his rising to a shout. "Those reports aren't true!"

Bly looked up. Every eye in the cantina was on him. Their gazes were cold, unfriendly. The burly human studied him. "You're a clone. You know something we don't?" he bit out.

Bly floundered. Cursing his stupidity, he began to think furiously. He knew he was skirting around dangerous territory. How could offer an answer without letting everyone know who he was, and more importantly, who he was with? Tatooine was a poor planet and Bly had no doubt the Empire would pay well for information on Jedi who had evaded Order 66.

Seconds passed. Then, at precisely the wrong moment, Aayla Secura entered the cantina. The sensor at the door hailed the new arrival with a loud beep and those nearest the door turned impatiently and then stopped. Whispers in Basic and several alien languages spread through the cantina. The unmistakable sound of blasters clearing their holsters permeated the air.

An unkempt looking Bothan stepped forward. "We were just discussing the latest news from Coruscant" he said smoothly, in slightly accented Basic. "You are Aayla Secura I presume?"

If Aayla felt fear, Bly couldn't detect it on her face. "I am" she replied without emotion. "What is this news from Coruscant?"

"The news that you're a traitor, mass-murderer and war criminal. That's what." grunted a Rodian, his speech sounding oddly metallic through his translator. "You poisoned the water on Felucia."

Aayla looked nonplussed. "The Separatists poisoned the water supply on Felucia. We were fighting to try and stop them from doing so."

The Bothan shook his head. "That's not what the Empire says."

"Empire?" A look of pain crossed Aayla's face. "It is over then" she murmured. "The Sith have taken the galaxy."

"I don't know what Sith are, lady, and neither do I care. I do know one thing. The Empire's looking for Jedi scum like you. Deserters as well" he added with a nod towards Bly. "I fancy we'll get a nice reward for you two. You're coming with us."

"Wait a moment" interrupted a new voice from the back of the group. "How's the money gonna be split? We all caught them. We all get a share."

"Everyone's contribution will be recognised." replied the Bothan.

"Do you really think we can handle them both?" called a human, most likely Corellian by the bloodstripes that adorned his trousers. "I say, we kill the clone here and now. The Jedi's more valuable. We can take her alone." Numerous figures nodded in agreement.

Aayla stepped forward, her lightsaber jumped into her hand as she did so. "You will release him at once" she said softly. Silence descended like a thick fog across the cantina.

All of a sudden, clone troopers rushed into the cantina and the clipped, military tone of an Imperial officer filled the room. "This gathering is at an end. Tatooine has been quarantined for the duration of our investigation. Put down your blasters and place your hands behind your head. Sudden movements will result in your untimely death."

Bly glanced at Aayla helplessly. Looking at her hands he noticed they were empty. Her lightsaber had vanished...

- Notes: Well that was harder then I thought! Writing those news headlines was tricky but it was a fascinating exercise all the same. Putting the right amount of Imperial spin on everything was crucial. I'd like to credit the following website for giving me a name for my newsreader: dimfuture dot net slash starwars slash random slash generate dot php

CPN is not a canonical Star Wars news agency. If anyone is wondering why I decided the news should come from a Coruscant media network, I figured that local news agencies wouldn't have had time yet to pick up the story or the access to Republic/Imperial agencies which would give them the details they needed. Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this instalment. I'm going to experiment with something slightly different in chapter 6 which will add a new dimension to the story. I should have that published on Friday or Saturday. Thanks for your support so far guys!


	6. Enemy in the transparisteel forest

Armand Isard gazed out of the window of his office. Isard had lived on Coruscant all his life yet he still found the view that greeted him breathtaking. The afternoon sunlight from Coruscant Prime, the galactic capital planet's star, reflected strikingly off the endless procession of airspeeders. The flow of traffic was so constant it would be difficult to argue that Coruscant's skylanes were anything other than some type of river. Below the skylanes lay a glittering forest of transparisteel towers that completely obscured the planet's surface below. Yet the view, for all its grandeur, failed to distract Isard from his bleak mood.

He had failed. Failed in task to protect the galactic government. That this was the first Imperial day failed to make an impression on him. Armand Isard wasn't a man to be concerned with politics. Republic's, Empire's, they would all need spies. His task was to protect the legitimate government of the galaxy. So why had he failed to detect the Jedi rebellion? He hadn't seen this coming. Nobody had. Republic Intelligence had some of the finest spies in the galaxy and not a single one of them had uncovered even a whisper that the Jedi were plotting to seize power. That fact unsettled Isard, as few things in the galaxy did.

The door to his office buzzed. Isard turned to his aide. "Show them in Darton."

"Yes sir." Isard's aide made his way to the door.

A man entered the room – cloaked in a black cowl and cape that did not entirely obscure his scarred, twisted face and yellow eyes. The man was flanked by two guards; they were covered completely by blood-red cloaks and face masks. The royal guard. It could only be the Emperor himself! Isard fell to his knees. "Your majesty."

The Emperor spoke. It was still recognisably the voice of the man who had been Chancellor Palpatine yet it had changed. His voice was lower, deeper, harsher. "Director Isard. You may rise."

Isard did so. He waited, but the Emperor did not speak. He was looking expectant. Isard decided to break the silence. "Your majesty, I would like to offer an apology."

"Go on."

"Your majesty. The Jedi rebellion. We, that is to say, Intelligence should have known about it. We could have known about it. That we did not almost had catastrophic consequences for the entire galaxy."

The Emperor considered him for a moment – his yellow eyes gleamed. "Do not trouble yourself over it Director Isard. You should have known, and you will have to do better in the future. But the motives of Jedi are notoriously hard to predict. I accept your apology."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"I have come here to tell you that I am dissolving Republic Intelligence. A new organisation, Imperial Intelligence, shall be replacing it. I want you to lead this new organisation. Rest assured, you shall have the opportunity to bring the remaining Jedi traitors to justice for their crimes."

"With pleasure, your majesty" Isard replied. He felt pleased. So the Emperor still thought him competent. That was welcome news indeed. Now he would have the chance to correct his mistake, to erase his failure from the history of the galaxy. Isard couldn't stand the thought that he had failed.

"Good. Under the Empire, your talents shall not be wasted. The Empire will provide your organisation with resources the Republic could only dream of. But first of all, I shall need you to track down a certain Jedi, Aayla Secura. I sense she would go further than most Jedi survivors to destroy our safe and peaceful society."

"It will be done your majesty."

"It has been a pleasure, Director Isard. I imagine I shall be speaking to you again soon."

"At your convenience, your majesty" replied Isard.

With that, the Emperor turned and exited the room. Was there a slight smile on the Emperor's face? Isard banished the thought from his mind. He had work to do. "Darton, get me the file on Aayla Secura. Then run a keyword search for Aayla Secura on holonet transmissions from the last 12 standard hours. Filter out all civilian and Separatist encrypted content. I want Republic military content only. If there was an incident involving this Jedi it should have been filed by an officer in the Grand Army."

"I've uploaded Secura's file to you datapad now sir. The holonet search will take a few minutes."

"Thank you Darton."

Isard began to read the report in front of him. Name: Aayla Secura. Species: Twilek. Gender: Female. Born: Ryloth, 24 years Pre-Empire. Occupation: Jedi Knight. Affiliation: Jedi Order (disbanded.) Alive: yes. Citizen: no (traitor.)

Isard skimmed over the rest of the report. Her early years had been unremarkable, mainly confined to helping her master resolve border disputes and mediate between rival factions. Isard's interest began to rise when the report turned to the Separatist crisis. She had been one of a 200 strong Jedi task force, sent to Geonosis, to rescue two Jedi and a Senator who were being held by the Separatists. She was one of just fourteen survivors of that task force. She then took command of a Grand Army battle corps in the Battle of Geonosis, the opening battle of the war. She served with distinction throughout the war, fighting on several planets including Honoghr, Endor and Felucia. She had been on Felucia when the Jedi rebellion had been uncovered and Order 66 had been issued. Isard had to admit to himself that he was impressed, at least, as impressed as he could be with someone who was a traitor. She was certainly a survivor.

Darton started speaking. He sounded excited. "Sir, the search has returned two hits. One is a report from a clone sergeant, designation CT-35/19-0016, informally known as Daze. The report is eight hours old. The second is a report from Captain Farell of the Star Destroyer Gallant. That report is five hours old. Both reports originate from the planet Felucia, a planet that was loyal to the Separatists until their defeat a few hours ago. Shall I crack the encryption on those reports?"

Isard hesitated. It was technically against regulations to scoop Republic transmissions from the holonet and crack the encryption on them. Procedure demanded that he wait for the Grand Army to present reports to him at his request. He waved the matter aside. Intelligence had a mandate to read anything it wished in the name of security and if the surviving insurgent Jedi were to be contained he couldn't afford to wait for procedure. "Decrypt the reports and upload them to my datapad as soon as possible please."

"Yes sir."

It only took a few moments for the reports to be decrypted and uploaded. "Interesting" murmured Isard. "So Secura's clone commander refused to comply with the order and now they've both escaped in a snubfighter. Darton, I need the specifications for a standard model Y-wing starfighter."

"If you want to know their maximum range sir, it's about 40000 light years."

Isard half-smiled. He'd forgotten that Darton had served in the Republic navy before transferring to Intelligence. Isard had high hopes for this bright young man. "Let's bring up a star chart and see where they're hiding."

At Isard's word, a holographic version of the galaxy appeared, floating before them in mid-air. Darton tapped a few keys and a red circle appeared in the hologram with Felucia at its centre. "Good work Darton. Now plot their exit vector." Darton did so and a blue line appeared from Felucia and stopped at the circle's edge. The line skirted past Hutt space, passed straight through Bothan space and stopped near the infamous Smugglers Run. "Your opinion on their destination?" Isard asked.

"Difficult to say sir. Their exit vector may not mean much. Certainly, it's unlikely they jumped straight towards their true destination." Darton paused. "They could have stopped anywhere and re-jumped" said Darton nervously - clearly unwilling to be the bearer of bad news.

Isard kept his tone light. "That's true. But I think it unlikely that they turned back. They would have to pass very close to the core systems. The closer they get to the core, the greater the chance that they'll be dragged out of hyperspace by interdictor pickets. No, I think their destination is broadly in line with their exit vector. Christophsis is at the end of the line but there's a sizable Republic presence there as a Jedi general would well know."

"Could they be seeking sanctuary with the Bothans sir? They could easily make Bothawui or Kothlis. The Bothans were never friendly with the Republic."

"Perfectly possible" replied Isard conversationally. "But I rather think not. There are far too many spies in Bothan space. Loyalties of the various spy networks based there aside, it would still be hard to maintain a low profile there for any length of time. What we're looking for, I think, is a planet that's ignored by the galaxy. Someplace that interested neither the Republic nor the Separatists."

"Not Geonosis then" replied Darton. "But look, Rodia or Tatooine fit the profile and they are very close to the line suggested by the starfighter's escape vector."

"Indeed. I think it's more likely they fled to Tatooine than to Rodia. Tatooine is more sparsely populated and it also has a more diverse population which will hide them better. Do we have any Star Destroyers in the region? We must ensure they don't enter hyperspace again. If they do, there's no telling where they might end up."

"We have a free Star Destroyer at Christophsis sir. Liberty's Pride. Victory Class. It could be at Rodia or Tatooine in as little as an hour."

"Very well" said Isard with satisfaction. "Inform the Captain of Liberty's Pride that his vessel is under the command of Imperial Intelligence for the near future. Tell him to take a full complement of clone troopers to Tatooine. Make sure he understands that nobody is to leave Tatooine until further notice. Once the ship is in orbit, have his troopers perform house to house searches for our targets, starting in the areas of highest population - that would be Mos Eisley or Mos Espa. I'll leave you to handle the details."

"Yes sir. By the way sir, don't we need to inform the planetary governor? It's against regulations to land troops on an uncontested world without at least informing the authorities there."

A dark look crossed Isard's face. "This is a time of crisis Darton" he said softly. "The governor will know - when the troops arrive."

- Notes: Sorry this chapter is out later than I said it would be. I held this back until Sunday as there were still a few corrections I wanted to make to it. So, as you can see, I've decided to write some chapters from the point of view of a villain. You might be wondering who Armand Isard is. If you've ever read the Star Wars X-wing series you'll know about a character called Ysanne Isard. She was basically the psychotic head of Imperial Intelligence. Armand is her father, and he was head of Republic Intelligence and then Imperial Intelligence until his death in 0 BBY. So far, all of Aayla and Bly's foes have been people who have been pointing blasters at them. I thought it would be good for them to have a more distant foe who's main weapon is his intelligence and his drive. Let me know what you think of my change to the story dynamic. Chapter 7 will be back to Aayla and Bly. I'll have it published soon.


	7. The Chosen One?

Aayla Secura turned to face the Imperial soldiers behind her slowly, deliberately. Her lightsaber, hastily hidden in her left boot, was starting to cut into her ankle but she paid it no mind. It was inevitable that the Imperials would recognise her eventually but, with the element of surprise on her side, she hoped she could avoid capture.

Aayla found herself face to face with an Imperial Lieutenant. Under his iron grey cap, Aayla could see his face - it was arranged in an expression of pure disdain. Recognition dawned. His eyes widened slightly and his mouth began to open. Aayla never gave him the chance to make a sound. Moving her hands, which weren't quite behind her head, she reached out with the force. The Imperial soldiers were blasted off their feet, colliding with the wall of the cantina with a sickening crunch. None stirred.

Aayla turned back to the patrons of the cantina who, only moments ago, had been intent on selling her to the Empire. They seemed awestruck. Calling her lightsaber to her hand she started forwards. The crowd parted, many tripped over themselves in their haste to clear a path for her, and Aayla was able to locate Bly – he was mercifully near the cantina's exit. She made her way over to him. He looked shaken, but otherwise unhurt.

"Come Bly" she said in a low voice. "We must leave. More soldiers will be on their way."

Bly looked puzzled. "Aayla" he began. "How did they find us so quickly?"

Before Aayla could reply more troopers entered the cantina. The clones levelled their blasters and, without warning, began firing into the crowd. The cantina was filled with bright flashes and screams, both human and alien. With characteristic clone trooper efficiency, the Imperial soldiers began methodically killing the cantina's occupants; the oath they had all sworn to protect the citizens of the galaxy apparently forgotten. More and more figures crumpled and the cantina floor became slick with blood. Using the force, Aayla upended a table and placed it directly in front of the clones line of fire. Then, seizing Bly's arm, she charged out of the cantina...

The light from Tatooine's dual suns was bright and harsh, made even more powerful by the darkness of the cantina's interior. Eyes streaming and ears cocked for the sound for more blaster shot's, Aayla and Bly made their way through run down streets and crumbling buildings, pausing for breath in a sheltered doorway of the type that was common all across Mos Eisley.

Bly was looking uncharacteristically agitated. He glanced over his shoulder, looked back, and then began speaking. "Aayla. Do you think they followed us from Felucia? It was us they were after wasn't it?"

Aayla thought for a moment. "It was us they were after. I could sense that. That they landed here so quickly suggests that they didn't travel a great distance. There's a large base on Christophsis. It's likely they came from there."

Bly swore. "The Empire's never going to leave us alone" he snarled.

Aayla gave him a hard look. "The Empire will never leave anyone alone Bly. You've just seen proof of that."

Bly hung his head. "I'm sorry. It's just... I mean, I could so easily have been firing into that crowd. I could be an Imperial. I don't want to think I could kill innocents like that. But, I'm a clone aren't I. Born to kill for the glory of the Chancellor." Bly snorted. "Emperor, now."

Aayla squeezed his hand comfortingly. "I don't believe that Bly. You made your choice on Felucia. You chose to reject the Empire. They cloned bodies Bly, not minds."

Aayla saw Bly glance down at his hand in surprise. He cast around for a different subject. "Did you manage to sell the Y-wing?"

"I had no trouble with that" Aayla replied. "It's not often that brand new military equipment makes its way to Tatooine."

A noise caused them to look at the street. As if to prove Aayla's point, an old R2 unit trundled across the sand, becoming slower and slower until it ground to a halt. It's internals whined and then smoke began pouring from its casing. Passers by paid it no mind. The ever-present sand often caused droids to fail on Tatooine. Bly grinned broadly. "You got that part right. Did you manage to find a ship that works in this dustbowl?"

"Bly!" Aayla said in mock anger. "Many people call this _dustbowl_ home." Bly looked slightly sheepish. Aayla smiled reassuringly. "I bought a light freighter. A YT-1210. Corellian. It's an older model but it should serve our purpose. It has a cabin, sleeping quarters, a refresher, all the comforts of a Grand Army base."

"Speed? Weapons?"

Aayla sighed. She knew Bly wasn't going to like this part. "It has a class 2 hyperdrive and a laser cannon."

Bly sniffed.

Aayla rolled her eyes. "A class 2 is the best hyperdrive you'll see on civilian craft. And we can't arrive in systems with military grade weapons and not expect to draw attention to ourselves can we. Besides, we have some spare credits now."

"I guess you're right" Bly replied, though he didn't look any happier. "Where do we pick it up?"

"Docking bay 102." She looked around. "We have to get there right away – before the Imperial troops lock down the spaceport."

Their brief rest over, Aayla and Bly set off through the streets once again.

The news of the Imperial invasion spread through Mos Eisley like wildfire. Everywhere Aayla looked, she could see locals withdrawing into doorways, making for the spaceport or trying to escape the city on landspeeder. White armour was becoming more and more visible. The clone troopers were moving in squads of six, stopping passers by and trying the various doors on the streets.

Aayla heard the voice of another Imperial officer, he was just a few meters away!

"Quick" hissed Bly. "Get behind these boxes."

The officer was speaking into his comlink. "Yes Captain. They're definitely in Mos Eisley. We lost contact with Team 6. We sent Team 19 after them... Yes sir. Jedi activity has been confirmed by Team 19. Team 6 are still comatose. The contact zone was sterilised but it appears the Jedi escaped... Yes, we're locking down the spaceport. Imperial forces are in control of 91 of the 120 docking bays... Yes. I'll keep you informed Captain."

The officer signed off and moved his squad on. Aayla and Bly looked at each other. "Bly's eyes were wide with fear. "They're nearly there" he whispered.

Aayla put thoughts of being trapped out of her mind. The Jedi training made a point of suppressing worries. Worrying only clouded your judgement. She stood up. "Well so are we Bly. Let's go. We won't escape the Empire by hiding here."

The crowds became thicker the closer they got to the spaceport. Clone soldiers cut through the throng, skull-like helmets moving from side to side – scanning. Occasionally, troopers would stun individuals that tried to make a dash into the complex.

"Down here" Aayla murmured, gesturing to a deserted sidestreet on the right. "Docking bay 102 is at the far end of the complex. We should be able to flank the Imperials." Aayla and Bly managed to turn off the main thoroughfare unnoticed.

Several tense minutes passed but Imperial troops remained mercifully absent. Finally they reached the docking bay.

"Ship doesn't look too bad" remarked Bly. "I don't know much about freighters but it looks like it's in decent shape."

Aayla breathed a sigh of relief. Bly appeared to notice. "That sensor is just begging to be clipped though" he remarked with a smirk.

"Bly!" said Aayla crossly. "I did the best I could. You should have seen some of the ships I was offered. A dealer tried to sell me a ship with failed power converters."

Bly shuddered. "Well as long as it gets us out of here..." he left his sentence hanging. "Hadn't we better power her up?"

They made their way to the cockpit. Aayla powered up the engines whilst Bly started a sensor scan. A quick scan of the instrumentation told Aayla exactly what she wanted to hear. "All systems are go. We're ready for takeoff."

Bly slumped in his seat. "Not quite, Aayla. Sensors have picked up something."

"What is it? A Star Destroyer?"

Bly nodded. "Victory class."

Aayla sighed. "This complicates things."

Aayla had never set foot on a Victory Class Star Destroyer but she knew their reputation. Built in the third year of the war, they were intended to replace the older Venator Class ships. They were larger, faster and commanded greater firepower than their predecessors. Trying to outrun one would prove suicidal. A different approach would be needed, Aayla decided.

"Bly, go to the access well and locate the hyperdrive. On my mark disconnect it and plug it into the emergency heat sink."

Bly looked curious. "We're going to simulate a hyperspace jump?"

"Exactly. Their sensors should show we engaged the hyperdrive successfully. Hopefully they will assume we have jumped. Let's go."

As Bly disappeared into the bowels of the ship, Aayla engaged the repulsorlifts and the ship began to rise. They had nearly cleared the atmosphere when the Star Destroyer began to fire. "Here we go again" Aayla muttered. The glare of the turbolaser blasts lit up the cockpit, half blinding her. Just what she needed. Aayla tried to become one with the force, to sense the paths of the turbolaser bolts. It was difficult.

The dark wedge shape of the giant ship loomed. The hull was all grey – the traditional Republic red had been removed. Aayla had to admit, the new colour scheme was psychologically effective. But the Star Destroyer, for all it's power, had a weakness. It was cumbersome. A small ship such as a freighter could exploit that. Aayla flew low and fast across the deck; the cactus-like gun emplacements twisted and strained to try and place the nimble Corellian freighter in their sights to no avail. Nearly at the bridge, Aayla pulled up. The freighter streaked past the main bridge viewport - Aayla could almost catch the expression on the portly Captain's face.

She hit the intercom switch. "Now, Bly." Aayla pulled the hyperspace lever, hoping against hope that the hyperdrive was properly disconnected from the main drive system. If a ship attempted to jump into hyperspace whilst caught in a gravitational field the likely result would be a shredded hyperdrive. The ship whined threateningly for a few tense moments but stayed resolutely in realspace. So far so good she thought. But the next part of the deception would be harder to accomplish. Fingers dancing over the controls, she put the ship into a 90 degree dive. The bridge support now appeared to be directly beneath them. Powering down the sublight engines, Aayla hit the intercom switch again. "Bly, engage the landing claw."

A few moments later, with the final hookup complete, Bly dashed into the cockpit. "The landing claw is secure. We're firmly attached to the bridge of a Star Destroyer." He shook his head in disbelief. "I take it we're in a blind spot?"

Aayla nodded. "Their scopes can't see the back of the bridge. It's a flaw in all Star Destroyer designs. The Jedi council tried contacting Kuat Drive Yards but they weren't interested in making modifications. General Skywalker taught me the manoeuvre earlier in the war."

Bly laughed. "Aayla, I haven't decided whether I want to fly with you all the time or whether I never want to fly with you again."

Aayla grinned mischievously.

Bly frowned. "Skywalker" he said to himself. He looked over at Aayla. "You know, it's odd. On the news in the cantina, they showed us reports of Jedi war crimes. That's why they thought it was you that poisoned the water on Felucia. When I think about it, all the top Jedi were mentioned. All of them except General Skywalker."

Aayla frowned. "Well perhaps it's because he's still alive. He wasn't on front line duty when Order 66 fell."

Bly looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. A report mentioned General Kenobi and it confirmed he was still alive. Republic propaganda always made a great deal of the invincible Skywalker and Kenobi duo. Now all the Jedi are traitors, surely it makes sense to vilify them both. Unless he was working with Palpatine all along..."

Aayla felt shocked. What Bly was saying made sense, but, Anakin – a Sith Lord? It didn't fell right. "You're suggesting Anakin was working with the Sith? That he's a Sith Lord? I don't believe it."

Bly shrugged. "Why not? Did the Jedi suspect Palpatine?"

Aayla bit her lip. "Well, no. At least, not until the very end." A though occurred to her. "But Anakin can't be a Sith Lord. He was supposed to be the chosen one!"

Bly looked confused. "The Chosen one?"

"A Jedi prophecy was made a long time ago. It said that one would be born who would bring balance to the force. That is, to destroy the Sith. The use of the dark side unbalances the force."

"And, Skywalker is it? He's the one?" Bly sounded excited.

"That was the opinion of the Jedi council."

"Aayla, if the force was brought into balance" he paused. "Would that destroy the Empire?"

Aayla laughed. "I don't think the force is political, Bly. It's certainly possible though. The Sith are destructive by nature. None of their creations last."

"Well then" he said with renewed confidence. "Finding Skywalker must be our top priority. Where was he when Order 66 fell?"

"Coruscant. He was at the Jedi temple." Aayla gazed into the inky blackness of the sky. "He was made the personal representative of Chancellor Palpatine on the Jedi Council."

Their eyes met. "What does that mean?" asked Bly slowly.

Aayla shook her head. She felt lost. "I don't know Bly" she whispered. "I don't know."

- Notes: Chapter 7 done then. Quite a long one, this one but it's just a short stay on Tatooine for the heroes. So I think this chapter brings Aayla and Bly a little closer, gives them a bit more personality. I've tried to make the clones even more ruthless and Imperial. I think I succeeded on that front. About the freighter - if anyone's wondering, a YT-1210 is not the same model as the Millennium Falcon (that's a YT-1300) but it is similar. I chose that model partly because the specs seemed right for the story but mainly because I liked its picture on Wookieepedia. Great reason, I know! (And if you look at the picture you'll see the sensor really is begging to be clipped!) Hope you liked this chapter anyway. I'll have the next one done as soon as I can.

- A few minor fixes made.


	8. Mission Parameters

In his darkened office, Armand Isard regarded the hologram in front of him. Simmering anger burnt in his chest. The hologram before him depicted a portly Star Destroyer Captain, in his early fifties. His floppy, thinning grey hair and pudgy face gave him an air of fecklessness that Isard thought he well deserved.

"Yes Captain Dessarian" said Isard. "I did read your report. I read it very carefully. Towards the end, I did start to wonder how many more people you would blame for your failure before you finally examined your own actions."

Dessarian visibly flushed. "I assure you, Director Isard, I executed your mission exactly as you ordered it." He drew himself up and assumed a haughty tone. "I cannot be blamed for the failure of my subordinates to understand the mission parameters."

Isard raised his eyebrows. "On the contrary Captain, I think it was _you _that failed to understand the mission parameters. My aide made it clear to you, did he not, that the planet was to be quarantined _before _beginning the house to house searches? Was it not made perfectly plain that the troop landings were supposed to take _outside_ the centres of population in order to attract less attention?"

"Now Director, I -"

"You will remain silent until I have finished speaking Captain Dessarian" Isard cut in, his tone icy. He paused for a moment to increase the effect. "In your report Captain, you said that your gunners fired upon a light freighter that was attempting to flee the system. Is that correct?"

"Yes, and nothing was said about -" he blustered.

Isard glared at the Captain. Dessarian's lip quivered and and his sentence trailed away.

"What I would like to know" Isard began, his voice deadly quiet, "is how a ship was able to leave from a spaceport that was supposed to be interdicted?"

The Captain sagged. "I have no explanation Director. I apologise for my failure."

"Do you think I am interested in your apology Captain?"

Dessarian bowed his head. "No Director."

"Quite correct Captain. My interest is in the ongoing security of our galaxy. Insurgent Jedi are still at large and they are a threat to that security. Every last one must be caught and your failure to convey the simplest of instructions to your subordinates has cost the Empire time and momentum."

Isard regarded the Captain silently for moment. "Do you have any ideas as to the whereabouts of Aayla Secura or Clone Commander CC-5052?"

"Ah, yes Director" said the Captain, strength beginning to return to his voice. "We strongly suspect that the targets in question were aboard that light freighter. The ship's exit vector can only mean they are heading for Malastare. There are no other habitable planets on that vector unless you count Christophsis and it is highly improbable they would stop there. We have orders from fleet command to travel to Bestine IV for routine maintenance. Afterwards we would be available to investigate Malastare." Dessarian glanced at his boots for a moment. "If that is your wish Director" he amended.

"You are certain they jumped into hyperspace then Captain?" asked Isard curiously.

"Why, yes Director." Confusion clouded Dessarian's face. He looked distinctly wrong-footed. "Our sensors showed they engaged their hyperdrive. Shortly afterwards, the ship disappeared from our scopes. That can only mean they jumped into hyperspace."

"As you mentioned in your report" replied Isard coldly. "You have no idea why the pilot turned the freighter around, flew straight across your deck batteries and then passed your bridge?"

Dessarian thought for a moment. "It was just a diversionary manoeuvre. Nothing more. Should I prepare my men for a mission on Malastare?"

"Absolutely not Captain" Isard replied quickly. "There will be no mission on Malastare. Travel to Bestine IV as ordered by fleet command. Whilst in transit, put your ship on lockdown and conduct a full search for stowaways. I will contact you after your maintenance is completed."

The Captain was showing every sign of arguing. "That will be all Captain" said Isard, the finality in his tone was unmistakeable. Isard cut the transmission and turned to his aide. "Put a reconnaissance team on standby, prepare them for a mission on Malastare. I have no doubt the Captain is wrong but it does pay to be prepared for the unexpected."

"Yes sir." Darton replied. "So you believe they are aboard the Captain's ship?"

"They must be" said Isard. "Dessarian's scopes indicate they were 150 kilometres inside Tatooine's gravity well. Even accounting for equipment malfunctions, that's too far outside the margin of error for a hyperspace jump to be possible. I think it's far more likely Secura set the freighter to self-destruct and then docked at an emergency airlock."

Isard placed his fingertips together. "Alert the Bestine authorities. Nobody, either human or droid, is to leave Liberty's Pride until its been fully checked over by -" he paused. A red light on his desk blinked – the sign of an unannounced holonet transmission routed directly to his office. There were few individuals in the galaxy able to make such a call...

At the touch of a button the Emperor's scarred face, half shrouded by his trademark cowl, filled Isard's darkened office. The Emperor's eyes glowed unnaturally, cutting through the gloom and casting an eerie light on the surroundings. "Director Isard" the Emperor rasped. "I was wondering if you had made any progress towards the capture of Aayla Secura?"

Isard silently cursed. The Emperor already knew! "Secura was traced to the desert planet of Tatooine, your majesty. We sent a task-force after her but unfortunately the Jedi evaded the trap we had set. It is my belief that Secura is currently a stowaway aboard a Star Destroyer headed for Bestine IV. We will use all resources we have at our disposal to eliminate her when she arrives."

The Emperor smiled - an expression that gave his face a demonic look. "I find your enthusiasm admirable, Director. But it occurs to me that we may not want to eliminate her immediately."

It was Isard's turn to feel wrong footed. "Your majesty?"

"Such a powerful Jedi would be a rallying point for the rest of the Jedi survivors and other," the Emperor paused for a moment "enemies of the Empire." The Emperor scowled at these words.

So the Emperor liked to eliminate his enemies in grand sweeping manoeuvres. Isard hid his disapproval. The more grandiose the trap, the greater the chance you'd be the one to fall in it. Inwardly, he sighed. Order 66, Admiral Tarkin's insane Death Star project and now this! One day, thought Isard, one day I'll have to persuade the Emperor to abandon these kind of schemes. Before they became the death of the Empire.

The kind of operation the Emperor was hinting at would be straightforward work for intelligence. A simple matter of spreading rumours through the right channels. He had more than enough agents inserted in the galaxy's criminal underworld. But, at a time of such instability and uncertainty, how wise was it to unite one's enemies? Especially as the Empire's enemies just happened to be Jedi. "I will make it happen, your majesty" said Isard, sounding more confident than he felt.

"Gooood" replied the Emperor, drawing out the word until it became a hiss. The Emperor remained silent for a long while – as if he had sensed Isard's objections and wanted to remind him who was in control. Isard resisted the urge to look down. Eventually, the Emperor spoke again. "And now I would like you to meet my second in command and apprentice – Lord Vader."

Isard stared at the jet black form that had just appeared next to the Emperor in blank shock. Man or machine - they were the first words to pass through his mind. Vader hissed through his hideous black breath mask; a sound that made Isard think of death itself. Half a second too late, Isard bowed. "A pleasure, Lord Vader."

Vader merely nodded. "Director Isard."

The Emperor looked gleeful. "Lord Vader will be assisting you in your efforts to bring the Empire's enemies to justice."

Isard suppressed a shudder. Would anyone be brave enough to challenge the Empire if they knew that that _thing_, whatever it was, would be coming after them? Still. Perhaps this was just what the Empire needed. Someone strong, someone ruthless. Isard considered Vader. There was no doubt about it, Vader was ruthlessness incarnate. "I look forward to working with you Lord Vader."

Vader inclined his head slightly. "I will be seeing you shortly Director." With that, the transmission ended.

Isard and Darton exchanged a look. Isard broke the brittle silence. "Well this calls for a change of plan" he said conversationally. "Contact Dessarian and tell him to call off the search. Give him any reason. I'll inform the Bestine authorities of the situation. We can't have them eliminating Secura too soon."

"Yes sir." Darton looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sir, wouldn't an operation like this work better if we had an agent on the ground with them. If the operation gets out of control it would do to have advance warning."

"Yes" said Isard slowly. "And we can't afford to lose sight of them again. It's a very big galaxy. The trouble is, if it's just the two of them, we'll have a hard time inserting an agent. It needs to be somebody they would trust."

Darton looked excited. "I've got it sir. We could pair them with one of the clones from their unit in the Grand Army."

Isard clapped his hands together. "Perfect. How about the clone sergeant that filed that report on Felucia? The one that ordered his troopers to retreat on the night of Order 66."

"That was CT-35/19-0016 sir. Sergeant Daze."

"Yes. That's the one. Contact the Felucia garrison. Tell them to have this Sergeant Daze sent to Coruscant at once by their fastest shuttle."

"Yes sir. If they demand a reason sir?"

Isard waved his hand impatiently. "I'm the Director of Imperial Intelligence. I don't have to justify myself to every petty officer in the Empire. If they ask, tell them – tell them that we have a, _use _for him..."

- Notes: Chapter eight is out of the gate at last. I was re-writing this a lot. I'm still not quite happy with it. I may re-write it again. I'm glad I got Vader into the story at any rate and I was somewhat pleased with my little bit of (dramatic irony?) predicting the death of the Empire by overly-complex traps. Anyway. I hope I'll have chapter nine out a bit quicker.

- A few small fixes made.


End file.
